A newly transferred football player at Texas’ Sam Houston State University has died, the school confirmed Saturday.
The death of defensive back William Davis, 22, was announced in a press release by the program’s head coach, Phil Longo, on Sunday.
“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Will Davis,” Longo said in the statement.
“Will was a beloved member of our Bearkat football family here at Sam Houston who touched the lives of everyone he knew. Will was an upbeat, positive, passionate young man who will be sincerely missed.”
Longo added that he and his family are praying for Davis’ loved ones at this “difficult time.”
No cause of death has been released.
Davis had transferred to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, about an hour north of Houston, earlier this year after playing three seasons at Virginia Union University from 2022 through 2024, Chron reported.
He earned all-conference honors in the CIAA in 2024 after a standout season that saw him rack up 56 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and one sack, the outlet added.
Davis then transferred to West Virginia for the 2025 season but appeared in just one game before heading to Sam Houston State University in January.
The young defensive back joined the Bearkats for spring workouts in Huntsville in April and was preparing for the upcoming season with his new program.
“Sam Houston felt like home from the moment I first set foot on campus,” the Virginia native told Chron after his commitment to SHSU.
“As a Virginia kid that had played every snap of football in my life within driving distance of home, it was important to me that I’d play somewhere where I fit seamlessly into the culture if I was going to be so distant geographically,” he added.
“My leadership and football IQ will help me be an anchor for our secondary throughout this upcoming season.”
Outside of his college football career, Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurial management from Virginia Union in 2024, Chron reported.
SHSU said it will honor Davis during the 2026 season, though specific plans have not yet been announced.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
